Noon Cat Nick wrote...

the_dawggie wrote:

Where I'm staying right now is a cat.

He is all affectionate when hungry or cold,
otherwise doesn't give a rat's arse about
you when fed and comfortable.

I'm not a cat lover or hater, just an
observation. Dawgs seem to differ
in this regard.

Dogs are descended from pack animals. Having been
thoroughly domesticated, they regard their companion
human(s) as the pack leader(s).

Cats, descended from the North African wild cat, are loners
by nature, and do most things on their own, although they
do colonize as well. Except for certain specific breeds,
they aren't fully domesticated. What they get from humans
is the same thing a mother cat gives her kits: food,
warmth, affection, protection, etc. So cats regard humans
as surrogate mothers. Their behaviors around their human
companions--meowing, kneading, cuddling, to name the most
obvious--are things kittens do with their mothers, but
aren't replicated by adult cats on their own.

What you have is a cat that isn't fully attuned to
dependency upon humans. When he needs certain things he
performs regression (kittenish) behaviors. Once those needs
are satisfied, he becomes more like his adult self, and
returns to his loner ways.

All but one of my cats are Maine Coons, and they're incredibly
social, both with humans and each other. They sleep in piles
on the couch and spend a fair amount of time grooming each
other. The exception is our one non-cooncat. She's mostly a
loner, the way most cats are, and tries to put the coons in
their places. Then, they say that Maine Coons are the cats
that dog lovers like most.

All but one of my cats are Maine Coons, and they're incredibly
social, both with humans and each other. They sleep in piles
on the couch and spend a fair amount of time grooming each
other. The exception is our one non-cooncat. She's mostly a
loner, the way most cats are, and tries to put the coons in
their places. Then, they say that Maine Coons are the cats
that dog lovers like most.